Connecting flange arrangement of submersible pump for fixed discharge outlet

ABSTRACT

A portable submersible pump having a discharge device permanently submerged in the liquid. Guide bars projecting upwardly from the liquid are connected to the discharge device. The pump unit is provided with sliding members and the guide bars have co-acting auxiliary finger guides. A positive mechanical seal is effected when the pump unit is lowered into the liquid along the guide bars and the sliding members are cammed by the auxiliary finger guides into sealing engagement with the fixed discharge outlet.

United States Patent Crespo Nov. 13, 1973 [54] CONNECTING FLANGE ARRANGEMENT 3,592,564 7/1971 Conery 417/360 0 SUBMERSIBLE PUMP FOR FIXED 3,656,871 4/1972 Carlsson 417/361 3,635,606 1/1972 Blum 417/360 DISCHARGE OUTLET [76] Inventor: Carlos A. Crespo, PO. Box 906,

Stamford, Conn.

[22] Filed: May 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 251,370

[52] U.S. CI. 417/360 [51] Int. Cl. F04b 17/00, F04b 35/00 [58] Field of Search 417/360, 361;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,659,964 5/1972 Dahlgren 417/360 3,018,925 l/l962 Englesson 417/360 3,427,982 2/1969 Englesson 417/360 Primary Examiner-Carlton R. Croyle Assistant Examiner-Richard Sher Attorney-Alfred E. Miller [57] ABSTRACT A portable submersible pump having a discharge device permanently submerged in the liquid. Guide bars projecting upwardly from the liquid are connected to the discharge device. The pump unit is provided with sliding members and the guide bars have co-acting auxiliary finger guides. A positive mechanical seal is effected when the pump unit is lowered into the liquid along the guide bars and the sliding members are cammed by the auxiliary finger guides into sealing engagement with the fixed discharge outlet.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures I [Z J 45 l} f I o 1 4e ooooo:ooooo:o0 42 CONNECTING FLANGE ARRANGEMENT F SUBMERSIBLE PUMP FOR- FIXED DISCHARGE OUTLET The present invention relates to a connecting outlet flange for a submersible pump which is provided with a sliding means that engages a cam projection on the pump guide bars to make a positive but removable seal between the outlet flange and the submerged fixed discharge outlet.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a submersible pump which is lowered into engagement with a submerged fixed discharge outlet that precisely adjusts the pump outlet flange to the fixed discharge outlet so that leakage of the pump will not occur. Thus, the fluid pumped by the submersible pump will flow through the pump and the fixed discharge outlet without any obstructions or fluid losses.

. It is another object of the present device to provide a simplified but reliable guide construction for the pump to be lowered into the fluid which permits repeated hauling out of the pump for inspection or repair, and re-installation for connection to the fluid discharge outlet without causing any fluid losses when the pump is operative.

A further object of the present invention is to provide at least one sliding device on the pump and a corresponding guide track having a cam finger precisely located on the track to guide the outlet flange of the pump into precise and rigid sealing engagement with the fixed discharge outlet located in the fluid.

It is an object of the presentinvention to provide a harness which is universally adapted for use with a great variety of submersible pumps so that the same may be utilized with the present construction. I

An object of the present invention is to provide a removable, submersible testing apparatus for checking the operation of a submersible pump in which a quick coupling is provided between the testing apparatus and the test pipe, the latter having test equipment therein and being located on dry land.

It should be apparent that the present structural arrangement permits aportable submersible pump to have a permanent discharge connection that is fixed permanently at the bottom of a pumping station, lake, or any other body of liquid that is required to be pumped out, and the pump may be connected and disconnected to the discharge connection as desired.

' FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of another construction to that shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a 'side elevational view of another embodiment of the present construction in which a universal harness is shown for attachmentto a variety of submersible pumps, and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the construction of the present invention mounted on a removable test platform. I

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION It will be noted from referring to FIG. 1 that the porfiled Sept. 15, 1971. The aforesaid flexible power shaft The invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS FIG. 2 is a plan view, with parts in section, of the device shown in FIG. 1. I v

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of adetail of construction of the invention taken along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2 and showing the coupling between the pump and the fixed discharge connection.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the sliding device and corresponding guide track in greater detail than shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of an alternate construction to that shown in FIG. 5.

may be flexible hoses of hydraulic or pneumatic power transmission. The pump 10 is provided with a suitable lifting device 25 such as a chain or a cable.

Submerged in the liquid L to be pumped is a base member 16 that rests on the bottom of the pumping station, or any other body of liquid to be pumped. The base member 16 is also provided with laterally extending brackets 17 which support the upstanding guide bars 15. Bracket 20 is located at the top of the guide bars 15 and is connected either to the discharge pipe 14 or any other fixed object, in order to maintain the guide bars 15 in an upright parallel relationship. The pump 10 is of the volute type and has a fixed discharge pipe 23' provided with a flange 26. As seen in FIG. 2, the pump 10 has mounted thereon spaced sliding elements 30 that are adapted to slide on the tracks 15a of the guide bars- 15. Each guide bar 15 is also provided, at its lower end, with a guide finger 22, the purpose of which will be more fully explained hereinafter.

'A permanent, fixed discharge connection 11 is shown mounted on the base 16 having a flange 27..A discharge pipe 14 is connected to the discharge connection 11 and ev'acuates the liquid as required.

'The guide fingers 22 are clearly shown in FIG. 3 in which the extensions or projections 31 on the sliding elements 30 engage the guide fingers 22 and cam the flange 26 of the discharge pipe 23 of the pump 10 downwardly and laterally into a rigid sealing engagerrient with the flange 27 of the permanent fixed discharge connection ll. Becausethere are two sliding elements 30 and corresponding tracks15a as well as guide fingers 22, it is ensured at all times that there will be a positive mating and sealing engagement of the pump outlet and the discharge connection, as illustrated in FIG. '4. It should also be noted that members 32 may be utilized to anchor the guide bars 15 to the bottom or floor of the installation.

As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, various configurations can be used within the teachings of the present invention having sliding elements 34 and 37 respectively operating on tracks 33 and 36 respectively. The pump 10, as seen in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, is further provided with brackets 32, 38, and 39 respectively upon which the extensions 31, 35, and 40 are connected, or are integral therewith.

FIG. 8 discloses an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which like parts bear like reference numerals. The submersible pump 41 is provided with a sealed motor (not shown) or an electrical cable 44 for power transmission from a land .based power source (not shown), as explained hereinbefore. The pump 41 is also provided with a strainer 42 for preventing solid matter from entering into the pump housing and breaking the vanes of the impeller. The pump 41 has a lifting device 43 and a harness 45 which is adjustable about the pump housing by means of bolt 46. It should be apparent that the harness 45 is universally adapted to be used with a large variety of submersible pumps. However, the method of coupling the flanges 26 and 27, as seen in FIG. 4, remains the same as illustrated in the construction shown in FIGS. l-3.

FIG. 9 shows a testing arrangement for submersible pumps 10 of the type shown in FIG. 1. In this arrangement, a platform 50 is seen which can be lowered and elevated by means of a lifting device 53, such as a chain or cable. In the construction shown, the pump 10 is coupled to the discharge connection 11 in the manner explained hereinbefore in connection with FIGS. l-4. However, in addition, the fixed discharge pipe 14 is connected to a test pipe 54 mounted on dry land by means of the supporting beam 56, and pipe clamp 55. The test pipe 54 is provided with an internal flowmeter and pressure gauge, both of which are not shown, in order to check the operation of the pump 10. The test pipe 54 is connected to discharge pipe 14 by means of having an outlet pipe and a fixed discharge connection in a liquid environment comprising: a base member, means mounting said discharge connection on said .base member, means for lowering and elevating said pump in said liquid environment, at least one guide bar having a track thereon extending upwardly in the direction toward the surface of the liquid, a harness surrounding said pump, means for adjusting the dimensions of the harness to accommodate selectively a variety of submersible pumps, a sliding element mounted on said harness which interengages with said track mounted on said guidebar, a guide finger mounted on said guide bar adjacent to the location of said discharge connection whereby when said pump is lowered in said liquid environment by said lowering means a portion of said sliding element engages said guide finger and said pump is moved laterally whereby said outlet is rigidly sealed to said discharge connection.

2. A combination of a portable submersible pump having an outlet pipe and a fixed discharge connection in a liquid environment comprising: a base member, means mounting said discharge connection said base member, at least one guide bar having a track thereon extending upwardly in the direction toward the surface of the liquid, a relatively large platform for mounting said base member and said guide bar thereon, means for lowering and elevating said platform in the liquid environment, said pump being provided with a sliding element which interengages with said track mounted on said guide bar, a guide finger attached to said guide bar adjacent to the location of said discharge connection whereby when said pump is lowered to the bottom of the liquid environment by said lowering means a portion of the sliding element engages the guide finger and said pump is moved laterally whereby said outlet pipe is rigidly sealed to said discharge connection.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outlet pipe is provided with a flowmeter and a pressure gauge.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,771,91A DatedNovember 13, 1973 v Inventofls) los A. Crespo It is certified that error appears' in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent; are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 27, after "a", insert "guide".

Column 2, 1,ine 16, change "located" to --1ocate--.

Column L, Claim 2, line after "connectionflinser-t -on-- Column L, Claim 3, 1ine 1, cnange "1" to --2--.

Signed and'isea lea thiS Znd day of April 1974.

SEAL Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesti'ng Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-1050 (10-69) U USCOMNMDC 60576.:69 w u.s. Gov/lung"? rnm'rms orrlc: ID? o-aw-su. 

1. A combination of a portable submersible pump having an outlet pipe and a fixed discharge connection in a liquid environment comprising: a base member, means mounting said discharge connection on said base member, means for lowering and elevating said pump in said liquid environment, at least one guide bar having a track thereon extending upwardly in the direction toward the surface of the liquid, a harness surrounding said pump, means for adjusting the dimensions of the harness to accommodate selectively a variety of submersible pumps, a sliding element mounted on said harness which interengages with said track mounted on said guidebar, a guide finger mounted on said guide bar adjacent to the location of said discharge connection whereby when said pump is lowered in said liquid environment by said lowering means a portion of said sliding element engages said guide finger and said pump is moved laterally whereby said outlet is rigidly sealed to said discharge connection.
 2. A combination of a portable submersible pump having an outlet pipe and a fixed discharge connection in a liquid environment comprising: a base member, means mounting said discharge connection said base member, at least one guide bar having a track thereon extending upwardly in the direction toward the surface of the liquid, a relatively large platform for mounting said base member and said guide bar thereon, means for lowering and elevating said platform in the liquid environment, said pump being provided with a sliding element which interengages with said track mounted on said guide bar, a guide finger attached to said guide bar adjacent to the location of said discharge connection whereby when said pump is lowered to the bottom of the liquid environment by said lowering means a portion of the sliding element engages the guide finger and said pump is moved laterally whereby said outlet pipe is rigidly sealed to said discharge connection.
 3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outlet pipe is provided with a flowmeter and a pressure gauge. 